Top 10 Gazette stories of the year: #5 Gov. Branstad to China

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Terry Branstad, governor of Iowa and Trump's pick to be the U.S. ambassador to China, on Dec. 8. MUST CREDIT: Bloomberg photo by Daniel Acker

Governor of Iowa Terry Branstad speaks to the press meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., December 6, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Gov. Terry Branstad speaks to audience members at the Iowa Start Up Accelerator's 2016 Launch Day at the Paramount Theater in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016. Launch Day was the confusion of a three-month innovation incubator organized by NewBoCo of Cedar Rapids. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette)

The Gazette Staff

Dec 28, 2016 at 3:30 pm | Print View

Among the long list of appointments President-elect Donald Trump has made, one made major waves in Iowa. The longest-serving Governor in Iowa state history, Terry Branstad, has been selected by Trump to serve as Ambassador to China.

Since Trump’s Nov. 8 election victory, political observers and reporters had speculated Trump may offer the post to Branstad, who was a strong supporter of Trump during the general election and has a longtime working friendship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump spoke highly of Gov. Branstad during a campaign stop in Sioux City, right before the election.

“Terry came to my office and he was talking to me about trade, and I think there’s nobody who knows more about trade than him,” Trump told the crowd in Sioux City the Sunday before the election. “(Branstad) would be a prime candidate to take care of China. He has done so well for the people of Iowa. Nobody knows it better.”

Branstad and Trump have appeared together following the announcement during Trump’s victory tour.

The appointment still needs to be confirmed by the United States Senate.